It's been fun

Hi everyone, well I don't have the stomach flu I actually caught a bad case of the baby in my belly! ha, Everything looks good for baby #2 so far.



For right now I am going to stop blogging, the time I have left over every evening during this break is what my body and mind have been craving...well besides Taco Bell and Peanut Butter..not together of course



I will still visit all of you though, and wish everyone the best - you have all been very sweet.  Food Blogging has been so much fun and I can swing my way through the kitchen now...without my camera of course.


Indigo's Sugar Spectrum OUT - Love Jennifer.

PS - I reserve the right to return if I wake up in a panic one morning over this. 

Black and White

So sorry my posting has been sparse
but the flu has hit my belly



I swear I will be back soon
with food the is deliciously smelly



So please enjoy these black & whites
they are sure to make you happy
Give big hugs to your pups and kids
Even if they are mildly yappy

See you soon!

Chocolate Caramel Bit Cookies

I should have guessed it.

Picture this. Your husband and your 3 year old go on a daddy daughter vacation for 10 days to the east coast. You have never ever ever been alone in well, 3 years. When you first ponder this trip you day dream about all of your time, naps, and general goofing off that will take place.





Now the day has arrived and they are gone, and your lost. My heart aches a little, my time away is super hard to enjoy.

The oddest thing, I miss them and they are so much a part of me that I would rather be drop dead tired taking care of my family then lounging around the house alone.

"Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, waaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." I miss them.





Here are the things I miss currently

1. Indigo & Husband
2. Fitting into Size 8 pants
3. Eating everything that I want when I want
4. Eating everything that I want when I want and fitting into a size 8 pant
5. The chocolate caramel chip cookies in this post - yes they are gone
6. Fitting into size 10 pants after number 5





INGREDIENTS (2-3 dozen)
Delightfully borrowed from Rookie Cookies

2 cups flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup caramel bits or chopped up caramel squares
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips





DIRECTIONS

Set oven to 350°F.

Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar. Add eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in caramel bits and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or just until set. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Open up and say “yes please”, then sign up for a membership at your local gym.

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

This weekends party was a smashing success. I don’t know about you but when we throw parties it is almost like I’m working. My whole goal is to keep smiles on faces and working is no problem for me if my goal is reached.

Enter, Princess Package Bouncy House…





Parents, this contraption really makes life easier. I dubbed this bouncy house the “container of happy children don’t have to worry about what my kid is up to wonderful colorful and great now I can be a lazy parent built in babysitter bouncy house”.

Basically – Bouncy Houses R U L E





What else ruled about that day you might ask? Great, let me tell you.

1. Bouncy House (that is numero uno)
2. Snow Cone Machine (came with the package, and yes it totally ruled)
3. Me & Dear Husband
4. Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
5. All the kids emptying the bouncy house to eat the cupcakes, which makes me rule doubly because I made them and also I forgot to  put on Mascara that day and wondered why I looked so odd - didn't figure it out till that night and yes that was random and yes this is s very run on sentence.







Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes (2 dozen)
Delightfully borrowed from Half Baked
{Printable Recipe}

For the cake:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup Pink Lemonade powder mix
1 cup milk
3 Tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest (zest of 1 lemon)
1 tsp vanilla






DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners
2. In medium bowl mix together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, lemonade powder and lemon zest, set aside.
3. In bowl of stand mixer cream butter and sugar on medium speed until combined.
4. Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
5. Add the lemon juice and vanilla and mix well.
6. Gradually add the dry ingredients and milk, alternating starting and ending with the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
7. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
10. Once cupcakes are completely cool, ice with Strawberry Lemon Frosting and garnish with a jelly belly on top.





For the Strawberry Butter cream:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
3 Tbsp strawberry puree (from about 5-6 strawberries)

DIRECTIONS

1. In bowl of stand mixer cream butter for 1-2 minutes.
2. Gradually add confectioner’s sugar and continue mixing scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
3. Mix in strawberry puree
4. Place the icing in a piping bag and Squeeeeeeze.


PS – I did everything with my hand mixer.
PPS – Decorated my cakes with Jelly Bellies